6,326 Reply by Zurf

(11 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Playing GUITAR, the first time I did it in front of people was last August at a fishing camp. I had been playing for about nine months of self-teaching time.  It was around the campfire and a few of the guys had brought their guitars.  I was used to playing on a nylon classical and was handed a steel string folk guitar.  I liked it, but I wasn't used to it, and they insisted on my playing a few songs.  I do not have songs memorized well, so I tried to use my book, but there was no place to rest it and my vision was a little weak in the twilight to read it from where it was.  I got out "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys" with the singing help of one of the real musicians, then someone asked me to play "Forever and Ever Amen" that he had seen in my songbook earlier in the day.  So I gave it as passable a go as I could, and had a fellow who sings very well say "Well, Hoss, that ain't a bad rendition, but why don't you play it again and I'll sing it the way Randy done."  So I did, and it sounded way better and we were both smiling at the end, and I guess that's the point.  I was nervous as heck and ready to give up the guitar to its rightful owner, but he said, "Oh, you've got at least one more song in you. Keep going."  So sitting in West Virginia beside her second most famous river, I couldn't help but play, "Take Me Home Country Roads."  A couple of the wives or girlfriends of some of the guys that were already at the campfire showed up and recognized it right off somehow and the three of us sang it.  They harmonized real pretty and it actually got an ovation.  This just goes to show that a poor state of guitar playing can be overcome by attractive women who know how to sing. 

- Zurf

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6,327 Reply by Zurf

(27 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

I'm in a tired mood, and a little grouchy, brought on primarily by having a dog with Itsy-bitsy bladder syndrome last night waking me to go out every couple of hours.  And she still left a spot to clean on the carpet in the living room. 

- Zurf

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6,328 Reply by Zurf

(9 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Electric solid-body and A/E basses have different sounds.  I like A/E basses, but don't have one.  I can get a mellow enough sound from my Yamaha solid body fretless.  I can rough it up a bit with my Ovation Magnum.  But what I can't do is get the roundness and fullness of tone that an AE gives (with a decent pre-amp).  The Ibanez AE gives that tone.

That said, that tone of the AE bass is not really useful for some styles of music.  While I suppose you could play punk with it, you surely aren't going to be popping and slapping any funk with it.  But if you want to play country, country tinged rock, folk, or other primarily mellow vocal/lyrics driven music, I'd think an AE bass would sound good.

Again, my opinion only.  Worth only what an opinion from a stranger on the internet ought to be.

- Zurf

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6,329 Reply by Zurf

(9 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Ibanez AEB10 or AEB45.

I have played a lot of A/E basses, plugging them in, unplugged.  Of them all, the Ibanez's sound best plugged in and near the top unplugged.  Even once getting into the higher end of cost, plugged in the Ibanez's continue to sound the best.  They are also set up well and easy to play.  I like the AEB10 for the slightly smaller body.  You lose some volume, but you don't miss it plugged in. 

If the Ibanez's aren't to your taste, the Michael Kelly's aren't bad.  The Fender AE basses sound OK unplugged, but awful plugged in (to my ears, your mileage may vary). 

Once you go up in price, there's a SWEEEEEEEET one made by Blue Ridge.  Holy schmoly.  Made my jaw drop.  There was nothing I didn't like about it but the price.  Were I to have the money, this one would be mine and the Ibanez (though a terrific value) would be forgotten. 

Breedlove makes a dandy AE bass as well.  Also pricier than the Michael Kelly or the Ibanez.  Very nice.  Good sound and projection unplugged, perhaps the best of this lot.  No AE bass is going to project as well unplugged as a guitar.  I don't know why that is, but it seems to be the case. 

I played the Takemine one, but it definitely felt like a bass made for a guitar player to me.  I'm a bass player at heart, so I want a big full neck and heavy strings.  It feels 'right'.  The Takemine sounded OK, and it would be easy for a guitar player to play because the fret distances and set up felt more guitar-like than bass like to me.  I didn't plug it in, so can't comment on the plugged in sound. 

Guild made a dandy one for a while, but it was expensive and I didn't feel that it sounded any better than the Ibanez AEC10 that costs about 1/3 the price.  The AEB10 is definitely the best value I've seen out there, followed closely by Michael Kelly.  The nice thing about Michael Kelly is that they make a fretless 4-string and a fretless 5-string (if you're into having a 25% string overload on your basses).  Having started bass playing upright bass in a classical orchestra, I like fretless.  There's good reasons to go with a fretted model, especially if you're playing mostly country or rock, though. 

My indistinct ramblings, hopefully helpful.

- Zurf

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6,330 Reply by Zurf

(3 replies, posted in Acoustic)

I'm not sure I understand what you're asking.

- Zurf

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6,331 Reply by Zurf

(32 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

I've been flushed from the bathroom of your heart. - Johnny Cash, song of the same name

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6,332 Reply by Zurf

(32 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

OK, well in light of Topdown's message, and considering that my account has been frozen yet, I guess what I put up above was not too much.  It is sung by Randy Travis on the "Passing Through" album.  The lyricist is Jamie O'Hara.

I will post two more, one I know is not a copyright problem because it belongs to a friend who gave me permission to use it, and the other is not really lyrics but a quote from an interview with Jim Croce.

First, by Ken "Dirty Ed" Willis in his song Rich Kid Doctor: "He told me what I could be riskin', but I don't trust a man who golfs instead of fishin'.  He might be smart - finished first in his class, but he can kiss a picture of my ***"

Jim Croce interview: "If you dig it, do it.  If you really dig it, do it twice."

- Zurf

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6,333 Reply by Zurf

(12 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

I had a girlfriend who used to sing that song. 

- Zurf

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6,334 Reply by Zurf

(15 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Because of the sudden and forceful introduction of a 24 oz framing hammer to the top knuckle of my left ring finger, it just doesn't bend the way it needs to to make a two-finger B.  I suppose there are some mutants out there who love B (sorry, Russell) or some folks whose knuckles remain unacquainted with construction equipment who can finger that chord (but I cannot imagine there being any true affection), but so far as I'm concerned, it's flat out evil. 

Etc_04, the only thing that I would add to your statement is "forced" and "unanesthestized".  You can figure out where those words go in the sentence on your own.

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6,335 Reply by Zurf

(15 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Good posture, plan ahead, practice.

Still won't help with B chord, though.  It's just evil.

- Zurf

Go to forum: Acoustic

6,336 Reply by Zurf

(32 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

"Ain't it hard to discover the world ain't what you thought it would be,
when your best laid plans hit the wall of reality.
But all in all its a good life, though it sure can be painful right now
Sometimes love is a river of tears
so pick up the oars and row."

- Zurf

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6,337 Reply by Zurf

(3 replies, posted in Acoustic)

440 Hz will give you standard tuning.

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6,338 Reply by Zurf

(16 replies, posted in Acoustic)

geordie pete wrote:

hi iam 51 years old and have just started "finger picking". what ive found by asking other
buskers that the style of your finger picking is unique to yourself.yes you have P.I.M.A but i for one finger pick my guitar in my own style that suits me.so dont be put off by books showing how to play. just as they say, do it your way.

Right on! 

Figure out the concepts and get some patterns to get you started using books, but applying them to songs to make them your own is up to you.  To give you an idea of what I mean, I'm working on a fingerpick bluegrassy version of Crocodile Rock that is a lot of fun to play (though folks may not want to hear it).  I listen to a lot of covers - Dr. John doing Stevie Ray Vaughan or Bonnie Raitt doing John Prine or Johnny Cash doing Harry Nillson, etc.  It's extremely useful to a budding musician to hear how various artists interpret the same songs.  Willie Nelson can take any song and turn it into a Willie Nelson song just by his approach to it.  I think fingerpicking gives the opportunity and flexibility to do that to a starting guitarist. 

- Zurf



p.s.  Sorry for the double post.

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6,339 Reply by Zurf

(16 replies, posted in Acoustic)

clare7377 wrote:

bummer, canot order this book outside of us, and cant find it anywhere...if anyone knows wher ei can get one in uk. please lety me know


Cheers ears!

E-mail your address to me.  I'll send you a copy.  Others  have been generous with me to help me get started.  Time for some payback.

- Zurf

Go to forum: Acoustic

6,340 Reply by Zurf

(7 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Also, you may want to try some lighter gauge strings ONCE you get it set up properly.  Yamahas have a reputation for warping if left sitting untuned for long periods of time.  While not necessarily so, it's possible that you have a warp situation on your Dad's guitar.  A good local shop, if one is available to you, will be of immeasurable help to you, especially if you buy some strings and lesson books or fake books while you're there. 

- Zurf

Go to forum: Acoustic

6,341 Reply by Zurf

(16 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Intro to "Morning Sky".  My fingerpicking has got a long way to go before I can do justice to Dan Fogelberg (RIP) music. 

- Zurf

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6,342 Reply by Zurf

(44 replies, posted in Acoustic)

I'm betting "Ain't No Sunshine" would sound real good on a twelver.  It sort of screams out for that droning, rhythmic sound a twelver can bring to a song. 

By twelver, I mean a twelve-string guitar and not a twelve-pack of a favored beverage, though I suppose in many instances mentioned above (particularly Pink Floyd) either meaning could fit in. 

- Zurf

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6,343 Reply by Zurf

(6 replies, posted in Acoustic)

I've got an ancient Yamaha nylon string classical student guitar that has been beaten and abused, but it still sounds OK.  I think you'd have a hard time going wrong with the low-end Yamaha nylon string classicals.  That said, there are many fine brands available, and many of them have full-size "student" or "budget" guitars that sound all right.

- Zurf

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6,344 Reply by Zurf

(9 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Don't use those chords.  Replace them with something playable by mere mortals.  Then call it an "arrangement". 

- Zurf

Go to forum: Acoustic

6,345 Reply by Zurf

(16 replies, posted in Acoustic)

You can start playing fingerpick style right now if you like.  All fingerpick means is that you use your fingers to pick the strings.  There's a book that I've been using called "You Can Teach Yourself Fingerpick Style Guitar".  It's geared towards 12 year olds based on the cover art, but if you can swallow your pride long enough to buy the thing, the lessons are wonderful.  I've only gotten up through the first dozen lessons or so and I now feel more comfortable fingerpicking than using a pick. 

Get the book, get the concepts, and start applying them to songs that you play now.  Have fun and keep it light.

- Zurf

Go to forum: Acoustic

6,346 Reply by Zurf

(6 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

While I love Jim Croce's music in general, if I never hear Time In A Bottle again, that'll be just fine with me. 

I do not like speed metal.  It reminds me of eighth grade band when folks would play the sheet music but just really, really fast trying to show off.  It didn't work. 

I do not like music that denegrates or insults, excepting a good Go To Hell song.  Country music produces the best Go To Hell songs.  But those insult or denegrate a particular individual in a story format and not just general insult of entire groups.  It's the insulting entire groups I dislike.  Be it racist, mysogynist, or what have you, I just don't like it. 

I do not like music with MIDI drum tracks.  If your song requires drums, hire a drummer.  Or even a percussionist.  I'd rather hear bongos or a shaky egg or a tambourine than MIDI drum tracks. 

I don't like "Talking Country".  You know what I mean, the band playing along and the singer talking over the music - no musicality to his voice just a deep talking tone.  It seems like it always starts out with "Darling..." and winds up with an explanation of why the guy was getting it on with six other women.  But he sounds sincere, anyway, I guess that's what counts. 

- Zurf

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6,347 Reply by Zurf

(12 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

I liked when God created the Big Bang by lighting off a fart. 

- Zurf

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6,348 Reply by Zurf

(26 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

etc_04 wrote:

People who try to tell you how you should play certain songs

Amen. 

Some of the worst words that have ever escaped human lips: "That's not the right way to play that song."  Do you think Jose Feliciano cared what the 'right way' to play "Light My Fire" was?  No!  Do you think the Rolling Stones cared what the right way to play "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" was?  No!  Do you think Luther Allison cared what the right way to play "You Can't Always Get What You Want" was?  Yeah, he did an awesome job of that song really.  The Stones should be embarrassed.  But I digress...  There is no "right" way to play a song.  Shoot, Brian Setzer just released an album of classical songs that are anything but the traditional classical 'right' versions.  If you can screw with Classical, you can screw with anything.  Except "Amazing Grace".  That one you've pretty much got to do straight up.  And "Magic Carpet Ride."  "Magic Carpet Ride" is the epitome of rock songs.  It is the perfect rock song that all other rock songs are measured against.  There should never, ever be a dance remix of "Magic Carpet Ride".  I'm just saying.  But other than Luther Allison's "You Can't Always Get What You Want", "Magic Carpet Ride", and "Amazing Grace", there is no right way to play any song. 

- Zurf




p.s. Not so sure about AC/DC in general, but Back In Black was a heck of album.

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6,349 Reply by Zurf

(16 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

I forgot to mention that I have played the following on a stage or by a campfire at one time or another:
trumpet, classical double bass (my only paying gig), slide trombone, bass slide trombone, valve trombone, baritone (which is a cheat because it's pretty much the same instrument as valve trombone except vertical instead of horizontal), tuba (even recorded an album as a member of a brass choir), harmonica, autoharp, bass guitar, and guitar.  Of those that I play with competence at present, bass guitar and coming along OK on guitar.  Good enough for a campfire where the audience has diminished their criticality of musical taste through copious quantities of barley or corn based chemical relaxation aids anyway.  I think I banged on some bongos on stage once too.  Sometimes, stage experiences get hazy for some reason or another. 

- Zurf

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6,350 Reply by Zurf

(11 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Martin, Taylor, Blue Ridge

- Zurf

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